The Perfect World Shanghai Major starts on November 30 — one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year. Participants will compete for a prize pool of $1,250,000, and intrigue has sparked even before the matches begin: the pairing of opponents for the Opening Stage has raised questions from the coach of one of the teams.
Controversial Decision in the Draw
There is particular interest in the tournament's first stage due to discussions regarding the team distribution system. Passion UA coach Mikhail “kane” Blagin expressed his dissatisfaction on his Telegram channel: "BIG is a viable option, but this Valve system, which can't even separate teams from the same qualification in the 1st stage of the main tournament, is frustrating."
The dissatisfaction stems from BIG and Passion UA previously playing in the same group B at the RMR. Their previous match ended with BIG winning 2:1, so the upcoming meeting could be a chance for Passion UA to get revenge. However, the question of why opponents from groups B and A are not separated in the first round remains open.
Tournament Format and Details
The Perfect World Shanghai Major will start on November 30 and conclude on December 15. In the tournament, 24 teams will battle for a significant prize pool. The Opening Stage will be the starting point where 8 participants will be determined to join another 8 teams in the Elimination Stage. After the Elimination Stage, the best 8 teams will advance to the playoffs and will compete to reach the finals and win the lion's share of the prize pool.
The draw for the first stage has drawn attention, as teams that have already met in previous competitions are matched together again, with two such pairs in the Opening Stage. Namely, The Mongolz vs Rare Atom came from the same RMR but did not face each other there, and paiN vs Imperial, who also came from the same RMR and played against each other there.
Why It Matters
The Perfect World Shanghai Major is not only the last major tournament of the year but also the stage where the best will be decided at the end of the season. How the organizers handle the current challenges will determine the success of this event.
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